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^ THE GLASS FACTORY. ^
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#§¤^:~:,,, SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ,,,:~:^¤§#
##§¤^:~:,, BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ,,:~:^¤§##
###§¤^:~:, THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ,:~:^¤§###
##§¤^:~:,, NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES ,,:~:^¤§##
#§¤^:~:,,, SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN ,,,:~:^¤§#
§¤^:~:,,,, STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. ,,,,:~:^¤§
¤^:~:,,,,, FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR ,,,,,:~:^¤
^:~:,,,,,, THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, ,,,,,,:~:^
:~:,,,,,,, AND A GIFT SHOP. ,,,,,,,:~:
~:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:~
:,,,,,,,,, THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, CONSIDERED POOR. ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:~
:~:,,,,,,, THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, ,,,,,,,:~:
^:~:,,,,,, DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN ,,,,,,:~:^
¤^:~:,,,,, YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, ,,,,,:~:^¤
§¤^:~:,,,, REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. ,,,,:~:^¤§
#§¤^:~:,,, CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND ,,,:~:^¤§#
##§¤^:~:,, LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE ,,:~:^¤§##
###§¤^:~:, PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ,:~:^¤§###
##§¤^:~:,, SOME ARE SHATTERED. ,,:~:^¤§##
#§¤^:~:,,, ,,,:~:^¤§#
§¤^:~:,,,, THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S ,,,,:~:^¤§
¤^:~:,,,,, A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT ,,,,,:~:^¤
^:~:,,,,,, GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. ,,,,,,:~:^
:~:,,,,,,, VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON ,,,,,,,:~:
~:,,,,,,,, TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF ,,,,,,,,:~
:,,,,,,,,, GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, ^^ ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, ^^ ^^ ,,,,,,,,:~
:~:,,,,,,, ~~~~~~~ ^ ^ ~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,,:~:
^:~:,,,,,, ^^ ^^ ,,,,,,:~:^
¤^:~:,,,,, ^^ ,,,,,:~:^¤
§¤^:~:,,,, ,,,,:~:^¤§
#§¤^:~:,,, I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE ,,,:~:^¤§#
##§¤^:~:,, OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS ,,:~:^¤§##
###§¤^:~:, OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD ,:~:^¤§###
##§¤^:~:,, DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS ,,:~:^¤§##
#§¤^:~:,,, BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ,,,:~:^¤§#
§¤^:~:,,,, DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ,,,,:~:^¤§
¤^:~:,,,,, ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ,,,,,:~:^¤
^:~:,,,,,, LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK ,,,,,,:~:^
:~:,,,,,,, WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. ,,,,,,,:~:
~:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:~
:,,,,,,,,, HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE ,,,,,,,,:~
:~:,,,,,,, IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ,,,,,,,:~:
^:~:,,,,,, WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ,,,,,,:~:^
¤^:~:,,,,, OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ,,,,,:~:^¤
§¤^:~:,,,, ,,,,:~:^¤§
#§¤^:~:,,, THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT ,,,:~:^¤§#
##§¤^:~:,, HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT ,,:~:^¤§##
###§¤^:~:, LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND ,:~:^¤§###
##§¤^:~:,, TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST ,,:~:^¤§##
#§¤^:~:,,, A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH ,,,:~:^¤§#
§¤^:~:,,,, STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE ,,,,:~:^¤§
¤^:~:,,,,, BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ,,,,,:~:^¤
^:~:,,,,,, ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ,,,,,,:~:^
:~:,,,,,,, LIT FROM BEHIND. ,,,,,,,:~:
~:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:~
:,,,,,,,,, I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN ,,,,,,,,:~
:~:,,,,,,, ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, ,,,,,,,:~:
^:~:,,,,,, AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE ,,,,,,:~:^
¤^:~:,,,,, OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ,,,,,:~:^¤
§¤^:~:,,,, ,,,,:~:^¤§
#§¤^:~:,,, ^^ ,,,:~:^¤§#
##§¤^:~:,, ^^ ^^ ,,:~:^¤§##
###§¤^:~:, ~~~~~~~ ^ ^ ~~~~~~~ ,:~:^¤§###
##§¤^:~:,, ^^ ^^ ,,:~:^¤§##
#§¤^:~:,,, ^^ ,,,:~:^¤§#
§¤^:~:,,,, ,,,,:~:^¤§
¤^:~:,,,,, MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE ,,,,,:~:^¤
^:~:,,,,,, STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET ,,,,,,:~:^
:~:,,,,,,, IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ,,,,,,,:~:
~:,,,,,,,, IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ,,,,,,,,:~
:,,,,,,,,, IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND ,,,,,,,,:~
:~:,,,,,,, PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. ,,,,,,,:~:
^:~:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:~:^
¤^:~:,,,,, THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT ,,,,,:~:^¤
§¤^:~:,,,, THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE ,,,,:~:^¤§
#§¤^:~:,,, THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ,,,:~:^¤§#
##§¤^:~:,, A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ,,:~:^¤§##
###§¤^:~:, SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ,:~:^¤§###
##§¤^:~:,, HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I ,,:~:^¤§##
#§¤^:~:,,, SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO ,,,:~:^¤§#
§¤^:~:,,,, THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. ,,,,:~:^¤§
¤^:~:,,,,, IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL ,,,,,:~:^¤
^:~:,,,,,, CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE ,,,,,,:~:^
:~:,,,,,,, ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. ,,,,,,,:~:
~:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:~
:,,,,,,,,, THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT ,,,,,,,,:~
:~:,,,,,,, FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE ,,,,,,,:~:
^:~:,,,,,, BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING ,,,,,,:~:^
¤^:~:,,,,, DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE ,,,,,:~:^¤
§¤^:~:,,,, TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS ,,,,:~:^¤§
#§¤^:~:,,, DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY ,,,:~:^¤§#
##§¤^:~:,, FLOOR. ,,:~:^¤§##
###§¤^:~:, ,:~:^¤§###
##§¤^:~:,, HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ,,:~:^¤§##
#§¤^:~:,,, KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ,,,:~:^¤§#
§¤^:~:,,,, LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, ,,,,:~:^¤§
¤^:~:,,,,, WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK ,,,,,:~:^¤
^:~:,,,,,, PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF ,,,,,,:~:^
:~:,,,,,,, HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. ,,,,,,,:~:
~:,,,,,,,, THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. ,,,,,,,,:~
:,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ,,,,,,,,:~
:~:,,,,,,, WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ,,,,,,,:~:
^:~:,,,,,, THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT ,,,,,,:~:^
¤^:~:,,,,, VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, ,,,,,:~:^¤
§¤^:~:,,,, BECOME STILL. ,,,,:~:^¤§
#§¤^:~:,,, ,,,:~:^¤§#
##§¤^:~:,, ^^ ,,:~:^¤§##
###§¤^:~:, ^^ ^^ ,:~:^¤§###
##§¤^:~:,, ~~~~~~~ ^ ^ ~~~~~~~ ,,:~:^¤§##
#§¤^:~:,,, ^^ ^^ ,,,:~:^¤§#
§¤^:~:,,,, ^^ ,,,,:~:^¤§
¤^:~:,,,,, ,,,,,:~:^¤
^:~:,,,,,, A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, ,,,,,,:~:^
:~:,,,,,,, AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M ,,,,,,,:~:
~:,,,,,,,, BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE ,,,,,,,,:~
:,,,,,,,,, STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, ,,,,,,,,,:
,,,,,,,,,, CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST ,,,,,,,,,,
:,,,,,,,,, FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, ,,,,,,,,,:
~:,,,,,,,, SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, ,,,,,,,,:~
:~:,,,,,,, AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ,,,,,,,:~:
^:~:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:~:^
¤^:~:,,,,, SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ,,,,,:~:^¤
§¤^:~:,,,, THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK ,,,,:~:^¤§
#§¤^:~:,,, GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND ,,,:~:^¤§#
##§¤^:~:,, I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE ,,:~:^¤§##
###§¤^:~:, THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? ,:~:^¤§###
##§¤^:~:,, ,,:~:^¤§##
#§¤^:~:,,, I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. ,,,:~:^¤§#
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